Ellen O’Donnell’s article “’To Keep Our Fathers’ Faith…’ Lithuanian Immigrant Religious Aspirations and the Policy of West of Scotland Catholic Clergy, 1889-1914” details the Lithuanian immigrant struggle to position themselves in Scotland’s religious scene.
O’Donnell acknowledges the devotion of the archdiocesan in aiding the immigrant community, however, argues that the Catholic Church in the West of Scotland “had little sympathy for the ethnic aspirations and outlook of the Lithuanians”. Although the diocesan authorities allowed and organised a supply of chaplains, they were not willing to permit a church for the community, as they were concerned about the threat of Catholic unity in a predominantly Protestant Scotland. Hence, this led to Lithuanian assimilation into the Scottish community.
O’Donnell begins the article by explaining that among the Russian immigrants during this period was a number of Lithuanians who did not yet constitute a distinguished separate population. She then goes on to depict the settlement areas in Scotland for Lithuanians, stating that although they were not large in number, they were concentrated in a few places, including Gorbals and Bridgeton in Glasgow, as well as Coatbridge and Burnbank in Lanarkshire. However, she states that the largest settlement was found in Bellshill/ Mossend. Hence, the majority of Catholic Lithuanians resided in the West of Scotland and therefore became part of the archdiocese of Glasgow.
O’Donnell details the initiative that Lithuanians took in order to access Catholicism in Scotland. They were not satisfied with visits from priests, such as Father James Hughes, and instead desired a chaplain of their own, who lived in Scotland. Many Lithuanians were concerned that the lack of Catholic religious guidance was leading to drunkenness and conversion to Protestantism. O’Donnell explains that the Lithuanian immigrants’ yearning for their own chaplain is shown through the fact they raised money to pay for the priest’s travel to Scotland and accommodation. The priest was given strict limitations in his position, as he was given a short-term contract and was “subordinated to the local parish clergy”.
Following this, in 1902, Lithuanian immigrants in Scotland further desired their own church, primarily because they struggled to understand the English language, arguing that they were not looking for a church that was separate from the mother-church, but rather a service that was spoken in their own language. After the initial requests were denied, a petition was created in 1905, along with details of a gathering of representatives of Lithuanians in Lanarkshire, which noted that many Lithuanians were turned away from churches, or were regarded as second to worshippers from Scotland. However, the clergy of the parishes that dealt with this issue had little sympathy for the immigrants, and the archbishop ruled that the factor of the church and position of the Lithuanian chaplains “did not meet with general approval at the meeting”. O’Donnell states that the possible reason for withholding a church from the Lithuanian immigrants, the Catholic community was the attempt at integration of immigrants in Scotland.
O’Donnell compares the experience of Lithuanian immigrants in Scotland with other immigrant groups in other areas of the world, highlighting that in England, the Polish community were permitted their own church in 1894.
Overall, this article is successful in detailing the Lithuanian experience with Catholicism in Scotland during 1889-1914. O’Donnell uses a number of primary sources as evidence, including marriage records and letters written by priests. She presents a convincing argument and an effective explanation of events during this period.